Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England-until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight.

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Overview

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England-until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight.

Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear.

Time Magazine #1 Book of the Year « Book Sense Book of the Year « People Top Ten Books of the Year « Winner of the Hugo Award « A New York Times Notable Book of the Year « Salon.com Top Ten of 2004 «Winner of the World Fantasy Award « Nancy Pearl's Top 12 Books of 2004 « Washington Post Book World's Best of 2004 « Christian Science Monitor Best Fiction 2004 « San Francisco Chronicle Best Books of 2004 « Winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel « Chicago Tribune Best of 2004 « Seattle Times 25 Best Books of 2004 « Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top 12 Books of 2004 « Village Voice "Top Shelf" « Raleigh News & Observer Best of 2004 « Rocky Mountain News critics' favorites of 2004 « Kansas City Star 100 Newsworthy Books of 2004 « Fort Worth Star-Telegram 10 Best Books of 2004 « Hartford Courant Best Books of 2004

Editorial Reviews

"Unquestionably the finest English novel of the fantastic written in the last seventy years....From beginning to end, a perfect pleasure."

Charles Palliser

"I found it absolutely compelling....It's an astonishing achievement. I can't think of anything that is remotely like it."

bn.com

Barnes & Noble Discover Great New WritersWhen Susanna Clarke set out to write her sensational first novel, she determined to write a book about magic that would keep readers from their coveted sleep. She has certainly succeeded. A hefty doorstop of a book, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell has already drawn comparisons to works by Dickens, Austen, and the Harry Potter books. Set in early-19th-century England, Clarke's novel introduces readers to a group of magicians from whom the "magic" has departed. Enter Mr. Norrell, a misanthropic, book-hoarding magician who takes up a challenge to prove that magic still exists.

After Mr. Norrell succeeds at his ambitious endeavor, he takes on a pupil, the charismatic Jonathan Strange, and together they begin to restore the sorry state of English magic. But a rift opens between these two allies, leading them to turn their magic on each other, and a darker, more sinister magic begins to reveal itself.

Clarke's ambitious epic is packed with twists and turns, as she leads readers through mysterious doorways, down magical pathways, and into other worlds. Filled with quirky characters and eerie places, it's frightening, moving, and very often witty. In her stunningly original and accomplished first novel, Susanna Clarke has created a completely convincing "historical" account magic's role in changing the course of history -- a work chock-full of the most fun a "smart" book has ever contained. (Holiday 2004 Selection)

Publishers Weekly

There may be no better marriage of talents than that of Clarke and Prebble. The former spins an enchanting, epic tale of English magic in the age of Napoleon, and the latter brings it to life-footnotes and all-with a full-bodied voice, skill and aplomb that rivals that of noted narrator Jim Dale. Set in a world where the study of theoretical magic is common, but the practice of it is unheard of, this sweeping narrative follows the exploits of England's only two practical magicians, the bookish Mr. Norrell and the affable Jonathan Strange, as they struggle to revive the country's magic in very different ways. Mr. Norrell is content to publish opaque, opinionated pieces on magic's uses and misuses, but Strange is fascinated by the legend and lore of the Raven King, the so-called father of English magic. The voices Prebble lends these two disparate characters nicely reflects their personalities-Norrell's voice is brittle and sometimes shrill, but Strange's is pleasant and ironic. As the two magicians labor together to defeat Napoleon and then separately to pursue their own ends, an elusive faerie known only as the "gentleman with the Thistledown hair" watches and schemes. Clarke's novel likely contains close to 100, if not more, characters, and Prebble juggles them all with ease. Although the heavy price of this audiobook may deter some listeners, there's no better way to experience the material than to hear it performed by such a consummate actor. Based on the Bloomsbury hardcover (Forecasts, July 12, 2004). (Nov.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

“Ravishing...A chimera of a novel that combines the dark mythology of fantasy with the delicious social comedy of Jane Austen into a masterpiece of the genre that rivals Tolkien...What really sets Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell apart is its treatment of magic. Clarke's magic is a melancholy, macabre thing, confabulated out of snow and rain and mirrors and described with absolute realism ... Clarke has another rare faculty: she can depict evil ... [she] reaches down into fantasy's deep, dark, twisted roots, down into medieval history and the scary, Freudian fairy-tale stuff. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell reminds us that there's a reason fantasy endures: it's the language of our dreams. And our nightmares.” Time

“Clarke's imagination is prodigious, her pacing is masterly and she knows how to employ dry humor in the service of majesty.” The New York Times on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

“Unquestionably the finest English novel of the fantastic written in the last seventy years. It's funny, moving, scary, otherworldly, practical and magical, a journey through light and shadow--a delight to read, both for the elegant and precise use of words, which Ms. Clarke deploys as wisely and dangerously as Wellington once deployed his troops, and for the vast sweep of the story, as tangled and twisting as old London streets or dark English woods. Closing Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel after 800 pages, my only regret was that it wasn't twice the length.... From beginning to end, a perfect pleasure.” Neil Gaiman, author of Anansi Boys, American Gods, and the Sandman series

“Over the course of nearly 800 pages Clarke channels the world of Jane Austen, the Gothic tale, the Silver-Fork Society novel, military adventure à la Bernard Sharpe or Patrick O'Brian, romantic Byronism and Walter Scott's passion for the heroic Northern past. She orchestrates all these fictive elements consummately well...Many books are to be read, some are to be studied, and a few are meant to be lived in for weeks. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is of this last kind.” The Washington Post on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

“This 800-page work of fantasy--think Harry Potter sprinkled with the dust of Tolkien and Alasdair Gray--posits an extraordinary alternative history of England where magic, fairies, spirits and enchantments were once part of everyday life...This incredible work of the imagination, which took Clarke more than 10 years to write, ends all too soon.” New York Post (four stars) on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

“Here is a writer who remembers that true fairy tales carry a sting and the creatures themselves were never properly domesticated to the nursery. Her uncanny book is an object lesson in the pleasures--and risks--of enchantment.” Village Voice on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

“Wonderful. At almost 800 pages, it is an immense, densely plotted story, peopled with a a vast cast of extremely well-drawn characters, filled with unexpected events, ancient prophesies,varied and exotic settings, and all manner of human and inhuman conflict, and it is built one splendid scene upon the next.” Toronto Globe and Mail on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

“Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell comes across as equal parts Jane Austen and Charles Dickens flavored with Rowling and Tolkien. It's inarguably one of the year's best and most original works.” National Post (Canada)

“Combines the wit of Jane Austen with the subterranean spookiness of the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.” Seattle Times on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

“While Jonathan Strange is every bit as whimsical and playful as the Harry Potter books, it is also grave and upsetting, the very opposite of comforting children's entertainment...Clarke has delivered a book of universal truths and unexpectedly heartbreaking acuity.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Utterly enchanting. [Clarke's] union of historical fiction and fantasy is fresh, it is surprising, and it will appeal to those who want nothing more than to be carried away to a world crafted by a superb storyteller.” Denver Post on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

“Extraordinary...If Harry Potter is the kind of book that makes you want to be a kid again, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is the kind of novel that will remind you that being an adult should be a whole lot more fun.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“I found it absolutely compelling. The narrative drive is irresistible and I could not stop reading until I had finished it. The narrator's tone is beautifully judged. It's full of wonderfully deadpan humour and its reticence leaves the reader to make up his or her mind about the characters. I loved all the invented scholarship and was fascinated by the mixture of historical realism and utterly fantastic events. I almost began to believe that there really was a tradition of 'English magic' that I had not heard about. The author captures the period and its literary conventions with complete conviction. And a large part of the fun is seeing how an early nineteenth century novel copes with the impact of magic. It's an astonishing achievement. I can't think of anything that is remotely like it.” Charles Palliser, author of The Quincunx, on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Read an Excerpt

(takes place in Venice, after Strange and
Norrell have parted ways. Drawlight, a servant of Mr Norrell’s has come with
foul intentions, either to abduct or murder Strange. But Strange, obsessed with
the Raven King, has other plans…)

“I will show you,” said Strange, “and then you will understand. If you
perform these three tasks, I shall take no revenge on you. I shall not harm you.
Deliver these three messages and you may return to your night-hunts, to your
devouring of men and women.”

“Three messages,” said Strange, wearily. “You must deliver three
messages.”

“Yes, but you have not told me what the third is!”

Strange made no reply. He turned away, muttering to
himself.

In spite of all his terror, Drawlight had a great desire to get hold of
the magician and shake him. He might have done it too, if he thought it would do
any good. Tears of self-pity began to trickle down his face. Now Strange would
kill him for not performing the third task and it was not his
fault.

“Bring me a drink of water!” said Strange, suddenly
returning.

Drawlight looked around. In the middle of the Venetian square there was a
well. He went over to it and found a horrible old iron cup attached to the
stones by a length of rusting chain. He pushed aside the well-cover, drew up a
pail of water and dipped the cup into the water. He hated touching it.
Curiously, after everything that had happened to him that day it was the iron
cup he hated the most. All of his life he had loved beautiful things, but now
everything that surrounded him was horrible. It was the magicians’ fault. How he
hated them!

“Sir? Lord magician?” he called out. “You
will have to come here to drink.” He showed the iron chain by way of an
explanation.

Strange came forward, but he did not take the proffered cup. Instead he
took a tiny phial out of his pocket and handed it to Drawlight. “Put six drops
in the water,” he said.

Drawlight took out the stopper. His hand was trembling so much that he
feared he would pour the whole thing on the ground. Strange did not appear to
notice; Drawlight shook in some drops.

Strange took the cup and drank the water down. The cup fell from his
hand. Drawlight was aware—he did not know how exactly—that Strange was changed.
Against the starry sky the black shape of his figure sagged and his head
drooped. Drawlight wondered if he were drunk. But how could a few drops of any
thing make a man drunk? Besides he did not smell of strong liquor; he smelt like
a man who had not washed himself or his linen for some weeks; and there was
another smell too—one that had not been there a minute ago—a smell like old age
and half a hundred cats.

Drawlight had the strangest feeling. It was something he had felt before
when magic was about to happen. Invisible doors seemed to be opening all around
him; winds blew on him from far away, bringing scents of woods, moors and bogs.
Images flew unbidden into his mind. The houses around him were no longer empty.
He could see inside them as if the walls had been removed. Each dark room
contained -- not a person exactly -- a Being, an Ancient Spirit. One contained a
Fire; another a Stone; yet another a Shower of Rain; yet another a Flock of
Birds; yet another a Hillside; yet another a Small Creature with Dark and Fiery
Thoughts; and on and on.

“What are they?” he whispered, in amazement. He realised that all the
hairs on his head were standing on end as if he had been electrified. Then a
new, different sensation took him: it was a sensation not unlike falling, and
yet he remained standing. It was as if his mind had fallen
down…

He thought he stood upon an English
hillside. Rain was falling; it twisted in the air like grey ghosts. Rain fell
upon him and he grew thin as rain. Rain washed away thought, washed away memory,
all the good and the bad. He no longer knew his name. Everything was washed away
like mud from a stone. Rain filled him up with thoughts and memories of its own.
Silver lines of water covered the hillside, like intricate lace, like the veins
of an arm. Forgetting that he was, or ever had been, a man, he became the lines
of water. He fell into the earth with the rain.

***

He thought he lay beneath the earth,
beneath England. Long ages passed; cold and rain seeped through him; stones
shifted within him. In the Silence and the Dark he grew vast. He became the
earth; he became England. A star looked down on him and spoke to him. A stone
asked him a question and he answered it in its own language. A river curled at
his side; hills budded beneath his fingers. He opened his mouth and breathed out
Spring...

***

He thought he was pressed into a thicket
in a dark wood in winter. The trees went on forever, dark pillars separated by
thin, white slices of winter light. He looked down. Young saplings pierced him
through and through; they grew up through his body, through his feet and hands.
His eyelids would no longer close because twigs had grown up through them.
Insects scuttled in and out of his ears; spiders built nests and webs in his
mouth. He realised he had been entwined in the wood for years and years. He knew
the wood and the wood knew him. There was no saying any longer what was wood and
what was man.

All was silent. Snow fell. He screamed...

Blackness.

Like rising up from beneath dark waters, Drawlight came to himself. Who
it was that released him—whether Strange, or the Wood, or England itself—he did
not know, but he felt its contempt as it cast him back into his own mind. The
Ancient Spirits withdrew from him. His thoughts and sensations shrank to those
of a Man. He was dizzy and reeling from the memory of what he had endured. He
examined his hands and rubbed the places on his body where the trees had pierced
him. They seemed whole enough; oh, but they hurt! He whimpered and looked around
for Strange.

The magician was a little way off, crouching by a wall, muttering magic
to himself. He struck the wall once; the stones bulged, changed shape, became a
raven; the raven opened its wings and, with a loud caw, flew up towards the
night sky. He struck the wall again: another raven emerged from the wall and
flew away. Then another and another, and on and on, thick and fast they came
until all the stars above were blotted out by black wings.

Strange raised his hand to strike
again...

“Lord magician,” gasped Drawlight. “You have not told me what the third
message is.”

Strange looked round. Without warning he seized Drawlight’s coat and
pulled him close. Drawlight could feel Strange’s stinking breath on his face and
for the first time he could see his face. Starlight shone on fierce, wild eyes,
from which all humanity and reason had fled.

“Tell Norrell I am coming!” hissed Strange. “Now,
go!”

Drawlight did not need to be told twice. He sped away through the
darkness. Ravens seemed to pursue him. He could not see them, but he heard the
beating of their wings and felt the currents in the air that those wings
created. Halfway across a bridge he tumbled without warning into dazzling light.
Instantly he was surrounded by the sound of birdsong and of people talking. Men
and women were walking and talking and going about their everyday pursuits. Here
was no terrible magic—only the everyday world—the wonderful, beautiful everyday
world.

Drawlight’s clothes were still drenched
in seawater and the weather was cruelly cold. He was in a part of the city he
did not recognize. No one offered to help him and for a long time he walked
about, lost and exhausted. Eventually he happened upon a square he knew and was
able to make his way back to the little tavern where he rented a room. By the
time he reached it, he was weak and shivering. He undressed and rinsed the salt
from his body as best he could. Then he lay down on his little
bed.

For the next two days he lay in a fever. His dreams were unspeakable
things, filled with Darkness, Magic and the Long, Cold Ages of the Earth. And
all the time he slept he was filled with dread lest he wake to find himself
under the earth or crucified by a winter wood.

By the middle of the third day he was recovered enough to get up and go
to the harbor. There he found an English ship bound for Portsmouth. He showed
the captain the letters and papers Lascelles had given him, promising a large
fee to the ship that bore him back to England and signed by two of the most
famous bankers in Europe.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is not just a book about magic it's much more than that. As the story progresses we're compelled strangely by the slow but smoothly progressing story of this interesting novel in three parts. It is fueled namely by the tensions that build between Strange and Norrell, whose personalities are essentially polar opposites. In an only too human way Strange, we find, becomes so intent on eclipsing Norrell's magical talents that he even neglects his own wife. Rather than throw it in the reader's face, it views the history of the time: how women were treated (namely Strange's wife) comes into play here. Susanna Clark has handled her story with a finesse I don't see much in the literary world anymore, because she has this rare talent of hiding her themes underneath the story without entirely rushing the reader with them. It's the patience with which she builds her story that interested me so. This is what we need more of: a love for story telling, because when a work of fiction is approached in earnest with this type of enthusiasm the work transcends--like it should--mere escapism.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I both enjoyed and was thoroughly frustrated by this book. Each chapter taken individually is an entertaining and well written piece, and so I can't say I was ever bored while reading it. The characters are quirky and interesting, the concepts at play are fun and inventive, and the narrative style contains a dry tongue-in-cheek humor that I loved. However, this book is over 800 pages long, which is fine, but long books need a sense of an overarching plot unfolding as you go, and sadly that is missing from this book. While I was generally entertained as I read, I was frustrated as I got to pages 300, 400, etc that the book just seemed to be rambling without going anywhere. When the book did begin to pull all the loose ends together, it happened abruptly and ended fairly quickly, relative to the hundreds of pages of loose set-up that preceded it. In the end, I'm glad I finished reading it, and the ending was satisfactory. But it took me about 5 months to read, mostly because the lack of plot made it easy to put down and didn't offer a strong incentive to pick it back up again. Memorable story and characters, but it drags. Recommended only to those with great patience and a love of mild British humor and social comedy.

Joel_M

More than 1 year ago

This definitely isn't your typical fantasy novel. Readers who only like the "swords and sorcery" fantasy sub-genre will hate it. This book feels like Charles Dickens and Jane Austen decided to collaborate on a fantasy novel after reading "On Fairy Stories" by Tolkien, "That Hideous Strength" by Lewis, and the "Discworld" novel "Sourcery" by Terry Pratchett.
Most of it is set in England during the Napoleonic wars. There are some elements of alternate history as characters include real people like King George III, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Duke of Wellington. However, in Clarke's world, England has a grand history of magic and dealings with fairies. At the point where the book picks up, no one has actually practiced magic or had dealings with fairies for at least a couple hundred years . . . until Mr. Norrell shows up and, later, Jonathan Strange.
Like the works of Austen or Dickens, the story is more character-focused than plot-driven. It kind of meanders its way (with occasional flurries of action or sudden surprises) through about 10 years as the two magicians seek to recover and restore English magic. The language is a bit old-fashioned, but with a very light tone and some dry/deadpan humor. There are lots of little "scholarly" footnotes citing (invented) sources and giving little snippets of "historical" occurences (usually involving fairies) that help give the book a feeling of depth.
Despite the light tone, much of the book is dark and gothic. The fairies in the book are not the cutesy-Tinkerbell-Disney fairies who are tiny, mischievous-but-generally-good people with pretty little wings. They are the older version of fairies from English/Norse folklore . . . not necessarily small, nice, or sane (by human standards) and fond of abducting any human who strikes their fancy or strays into places they should not. Add to all this a prophecy of the "Raven King" (the founder of English magic who once ruled Northern England and will someday return) and you've got yourself an amazing fairy tale!

AlissaH

More than 1 year ago

I adore this book. It's incredibly well written, taking the best styles of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries and blending them into a seamless tapestry of literary wonder. It is delightful to read and I found myself throughout my days at work looking forward to when I could get home and crack it open. This book is subtle and doesn't pander. There aren't huge emotional moments or action scenes, so casual readers will probably not enjoy it, but in my opinion that's the beauty of this book- the strength is in each page, not the climax or the ending. Susanna Clarke has pulled off a masterpiece her first time out, and has done it

DAY-READER

More than 1 year ago

Unique blend of fantasy and magic in it's type of era. I love the characters, as they are all very comfortable to me. From the first few chapters, I was so impressed with Mr. norrells character. Susanna has done a brilliant job with this story, i love all the footnotes and the sometimes lengthly details and wordings, she has incorporated. Most books leave alot of things unsaid or unanswered, But this book has no such dissapointments. I read this book toward winter which gave it that extra edge to me. A book to read by the fire and get lost in. A huge thank you to Susanna Clarke for a wonderfull and witty, RARE treat.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I adore this book. It's incredibly well written, taking the best styles of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries and blending them into a seamless tapestry of literary wonder. It is delightful to read and I found myself throughout my days at work looking forward to when I could get home and crack it open. This book is subtle and doesn't pander. There aren't huge emotional moments or action scenes, so casual readers will probably not enjoy it, but in my opinion that's the beauty of this book- the strength is in each page, not the climax or the ending. Susanna Clarke has pulled off a masterpiece her first time out, and has done it spectacularly!

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

In one sentence; this was possibly the most boring book I have ever read. Over 200 pages in and I was still waiting for something to happen that didn't involve a two page description of someone buttering their scone and tying a cravat or some mindless banter about social status and family lineage. The entire book employs an absolutely overwrought attempt at mimicking some early 19th century conversational english that was more than unnerving. I understand the snooty highbrow nature of this endeavor, but you need some kind of story to pull it off. Dozens and dozens of pages of nothing but droll meandering pre-Victorian parlor chat told in some made-up archaic vernacular does not constitute a story I want to immerse myself in. Finally, the use of footnotes that were longer than a page was another tooth grinding annoyance. Its a STORY; not a factual documentary written 200 years ago.

BookaholicTracy

More than 1 year ago

This was a great read. The writing is beautiful, the story wonderful. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

eswhydeee

More than 1 year ago

The story is interesting and her characters are great. I love how everyone is kind of intertwined and you think someone appears just once but they come up again later. The humor in this book is subtle and funny in the best way.
My only problem is that the book is crazy long. I wish she would have cut it down a lot. I'm not saying she should have taken out scenes (I expected Strange in the Peninsula to be boring but on the contrary it was amusing). But perhaps she could have been more concise. I know it's stupid to ask for less without being able to pinpoint what to shave off, but it was really annoying how long the book was. I've read and enjoyed longer books but the difference is here the length doesn't seem very necessary. Then again, this book is written in an older style (deliberate, as it was published in 04) so maybe I'm not in position to complain.
In any case, this book is a great read but it took me a while to finish because it's so wordy I lost interest frequently. However if you're not bothered by the length (wordy and very detailed with lots of footnotes, though they can be very amusing), then PICK THIS UP because seriously, the magic, plot, characters, humor, and originality are really great.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

I had to first get used to the writing style, like I did with Dickens. Then, I did not hurry, I took my phone off the hook ' remember you can do this!' and loved my long vacation in this place, time and story. I now realize why I don't like short stories. When I have gotten settled and know the characters, the thing ends. Surely do recommend it as a winter's read. I read it last winter, and it seemed to go with the cold weather, being covered with quilts and drinking hot tea!! Cheers!

Guest

More than 1 year ago

As many have commented, the first 100 pages are a bit of a slog, partially due to the language. This is a very 'English' book. The phrases, the sentence structure...it all has a certain formality to it. It took me the first several chapters to even begin to grasp that aspect of its' style. As a 30-ish american, i had tried to read this several times before, each time getting mired in the phrasing (I have the same problem with Tolkien, actually. But not with Lovecraft. Go figure). The solution, for me at least, was Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. 3000+ pages of 17th & 18th-century dialogue and formal English writing, filtered through the sensibilities of a smart-aleck american author whose style I was already familiar with and enjoyed. Worked a treat. Once I was into the world created in 'Strange & Norrell', I could not leave. The depth of her wholly fabricated magical history of England is absolutely breathtaking, with all the wonder and horror of bona fide folk history and myth. I did find the villain absolutely terrifying, because beneath the foppish persona, there was nothing remotely human, no morality whatsoever. I'm a sucker for grand world-building(Dark Tower series, George RR Martin's 'Song of Ice & Fire' series, any number of well-written but rarely-played RPGs, etc), and she pulled it off wonderfully. For most american readers, this is a book that will require time and real effort to digest, but with a beautiful and rewarding payoff for those who do so.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

From the very first page, Clarke's novel is nothing short of masterly. There may be a couple of spots where the basic plot is forgotten, but this is made up for by her witty humour and insightful musings. In fact the so-called lapses give the book a sense of reality, as if in fact life did go on as normal during the more than decade of the story's span. And what a glorious story it is! My favorite aspect of the novel is the complicated relationships between the characters. That is one important element that I believe is missing in a way from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell probably has the most character development I've ever seen in a novel of its genre. Overall an astonishing read, and a book that I shall read again in the future.

Guest

More than 1 year ago

If people don't stop comparing this to the Harry Potter series I am going to scream. It is NOTHING like them. Nor is it the 'adult Harry Potter' unless he has become exceedingly dull and self-centered. I stopped at about page 350, but as I have only ever left 2 books unread out of thousands happily completed 'Great Expectations and some sci-fi book that was unbelievably depressing', I will try to get back into it. I am not saying there are not interesting aspects and very detailed descriptions of some events, but I mainly kept reading because I thought that at some point it would gel. Please, oh please make it worth all the glowing reviews. I was so excited for a long, interesting, well-written book and am so sad that it has thus far only been one of those. I was reading it while standing in line at a store and the woman behind me said 'Um, sorry to interrupt, but what do you think of that book? I'm reading it and you are further into it than I am so I am wondering if it gets more interesting further in?' I was unhappy to tell her that at p. 325 nothing had grabbed me yet except a supreme annoyance with reviewers. Then I thought that maybe they were all playing a joke--they waded through it and now they want everyone else to have to as well. It's a great conspiracy perhaps, but so far, not a great story.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

If you want fast and action packed tales of war and battle then this is not your book. But if you want a book steeped in the misty lands of a slightly-off19th century England where magic held sway in the not too distant past, then look no further! It's slow but deliberate, and one of my new favorite books.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

If you care for the old english way of writing or magic or both you might enjoy this.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

I've read this book a few times and I still enjoy it!!! It can be a tad long winded at times but I've found many of this genre are that way. Its a wonderful book to sit down and savor.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

I read this book a year or so after it was published, and the memory and tone of the book stayed with me, although I couldn't remember the Author's name, nor the title.
It bothered me so much, I began searching for the book to read again this last year. I finally came across the Title by accident, and bought the book again.
I was hoping to find it as a Nook Book or an audio book as it was so enjoyable I could barely put it down the first time. I am now waiting to have an uninterrupted period of time to relish the book one more time.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

I absolutely love this book! Many people say it drags on, but I feel that it really captures each scene vividly. I love the desriptons and word choice the author has, I can really lose myself in this story. It combines magic, sarcasm, love, and mystery into a story set in old England.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Author is in desperate need of an editor. The book was unnecessarily long.

jpquibrera

More than 1 year ago

From beginning to end, &quot;Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell&quot; was pretty much the perfect read. It was exceptional how every chapter's written separately and individually, and might as well stand on its own as a piece of art. Every chapter is indeed a new universe and a great new story, and the beauty of the novel is it brings all these characters and subplots together. Yes, it's true what some people say - this is a LONG book and can get quite tedious at times, but the truth is that's just the nature of it. The bright side is, some of us readers will be completely and utterly amazed at the language and craft of Mrs Clarke's. This is, no doubt, one of the most brilliant novels I've read.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Like most of the other reviewers, I had to trudge through the first 60 pages or so. Unlike most other reviewers the story really didn't pick up for me. If you have a fondness for English gentry and/or military history this may be your bag. Not a bad read, but.......

Man_Of_La_Book_Dot_Com

More than 1 year ago

Yes, I've read a magic book. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Nor­rellby Susanna Clarke is a fic­tional book about magi­cians set in 1800s England.
Eng­lish magi­cians, once world renowned, are stag­nant in the 1800s and have lost their abil­ity to per­form magic. How­ever, the reclu­sive Mr. Nor­rell of Hurt­few Abbey in York­shire has been col­lect­ing old and for­got­ten Eng­lish magic books.
Rais­ing a woman from the dead, Mr. Nor­rell soon finds him­self at the ser­vice of the gov­ern­ment fight­ing the French. Every­thing turns on its head when the hand­some and charm­ing Jonathan Strange, a rival magi­cian, appears. Strange makes a name for him­self dur­ing a cam­paign with Lord Welling­ton. How­ever it is soon obvi­ous that Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell¿s idea of what exactly ¿magic¿ is or ought to be are very different.
I usu­ally don¿t read books about magic, but when Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite authors, rec­om­mended Jonathan Strange & Mr. Nor­rell by Susanna Clarke, which was on sale for the day, I grabbed it up immediately.
The novel sur­prised me. It was excel­lent, funny and imag­i­na­tive yet not cross­ing into the land of unpro­nounce­able names, fan­tas­tic crea­tures and geog­ra­phy so con­vo­luted my sim­ple mind can­not process it.
As in any inter­est­ing book, this one also has lay­ers which allow the reader to think about and explore. Jeal­ousy, friend­ship, envy, love, arro­gance and, of course, redemp­tion are all touched upon by this most inter­est­ing book.
The way Ms. Clarke has recre­ated Eng­land was, to me, one of the high­lights of the book. In a style rem­i­nis­cent of Mr. Gaiman she describes, with wit and clar­ity, seedy par­lors, streets, build­ings and houses both of rich and poor. The char­ac­ter­i­za­tion of peo­ple within the story is bril­liant, often funny and able to cre­ate an image.
¿The walls of the par­lour were orna­mented with cheap engrav­ings ¿ por­traits of famous crim­i­nals of the last cen­tury who had all been hanged and por­traits of the King's dis­solute sons who had not been hanged yet.¿
¿[N]ot been hanged yet¿ ¿ don¿t you love that?
The story is told by an anony­mous nar­ra­tor who is writ­ing a his­tory book about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Nor­rell, com­plete with foot­notes and anno­ta­tions. The foot­notes were some of my favorite parts of the book even though they add very lit­tle to the story, how­ever they bring the book to a whole new level and add sev­eral dimen­sions to it. Full of his­tor­i­cal ref­er­ences, sto­ries and brief char­ac­ter­i­za­tions these foot­notes are a delight.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Well i will say the book started good then it lost its momentum

Moirwen

More than 1 year ago

After reading numerous reviews on B&N and Amazon, I had high hopes for this novel. I was looking for a fantasy novel that was well-written and engaging. Clarke's writing style is impeccable, however, skip this book if you expect actual plot. I read fifty pages waiting for something to happen. Nothing. At one hundred pages into the novel, the plot still hadn't begun. I don't generally give up on books, but after two hundred fifty pages, I gave up. There is nothing to keep the reader engaged in the story, because there really isn't one. Character development is pointless if the characters don't do anything.

NicholasNW

More than 1 year ago

The book is split into three different parts each one gripping and stylized in the english of eighteen century England. With a hint of fantasy that is mysterious and shocking your just craving for more. The first part tells the story of Mr Norell and his effort to be the first and only magican reviving and using english magic. The second part of the novel deals with Jonathan Strange and Ms.Strange as the venture from a Britsh rural area to the city of London. Mr Norell is suddenly entralled by Mr.Strange performing magic that result in Jonathan Strange becoming the first apprentice of english magic in years. Next as a result for reviving english magic the British government asks the magicans for help against the war between the European Alliance and Napoleon Bonaparte. The third part depicts what happens after the magician help in the war with Napoleon and the deal they have made with an insane magical being.